Catalyst
by TheManTimeForgot
Summary: Part 4 of 'The Nexus Crusade': With their emergency escape from the grim dark future, only more trials await...
1. Chapter 1

_Hurled out of a fracture in time-space…_

Helen: _Ahhh… _I don't think that device the machine used worked as intended.

Nero: If it did we'd be dea- where are we?

Helen: Temple; Buddhist by the looks of it.

_Nero begins to shudder_

Nero: Let's keep looking around, to get our bearings.

_As they moved around to the back they spotted a woman sitting in with a black cat in her lap singing a song. Even with the sun beaming down she was glowing. Nero and Helen look in awe._

Helen: I'm actually kind of jealous: listen to the pipes on her, and that body? Amazing.

Nero: Wait… (_using a small amount of telekinesis he brushes back a small amount of the woman's hair revealing a blue triangle just under her eye. Nero pulls Helen back around the corner, distressed.)_

Nero: (_sighs_) Shit. It's Belldandy.

Helen: Problem?

Nero: We need to leave now.

?: You're not going anywhere!

_The two were surrounded by an army of small bipedal robots, led by a girl. Nero and Helen discard their weapons and put their hands up._

Nero: Sigel, I need you to calm down and fetch your creator, and we can solve all of our issues.

Helen: Hey, Nero…you know the rest of these guys?

_Nero sees the rest of the temples residents: Belldandy, a young man in a t-shirt and jeans, a young girl with a hammer and a hand grenade, a brown-skinned woman with lightning arcing along her arms, another woman in a two-piece with a thorny whip, and a fifth woman pointing a halberd at Helen's head. All but the man had similar facial markings to Belldandy._

Nero: Helen, if I ever see Victor again, remind me to tell him that I hate him.

Helen: Noted.


	2. Chapter 2

_Spilling out of a portal…_

E: I can't believe we made it through there; good work Rho!

Ω: Yeah, that Warp Storm was a stroke of genius.

P: Thanks, just don't go back there, deserters are shot on sight. And we're back on Earth too!

Psyche: _We are indeed on Earth, 2006 A.D. I believe._

Y: A derelict arcade it looks like, refitted for living conditions. At least habitable for two people if you stretch resources.

Ω: Two problems: this placed is decked out with a working arcade machine, and a wide screen television, And this place has no bed, just a couch and this coffin on the wall.

_He kicks the coffin, sending it crashing too the floor. As soon as that happened, there was the sound of feet storming down the steps._

Γ: Oh no…

Psyche: _Something the matter, your brain waves spiked just now._

Γ: It's not safe here, we need to find a exit rou-

?: Who dares disturbs MY chambers?

?: Our chambers you mean.

?: Yes, yes of course I do.

_Two showed up at the bottom of the stairs, one was a punk-rock girl with messy blond hair and red lines on her forehead and cheeks. The other was also a girl, smaller, brown-skinned and adorned with jewelry from head to toe. Her markings were different: one six-pointed star on her forehead and two five-pointed stars on her cheeks. The instant Gamma spots the small one, his face changes from one of fear to one of anger._

Γ: I've got nothing to say to you, demon.

P: Wait, these are demons?

Γ: Yes, Mara is the name of the flustered blond, the imp's name is Hild.

Hild: Imp? I'm pretty sure you know better than to call me such _unflattering _terms.

Γ: You don't know who we are.

Hild: Hmph, I've been around quite a long time and have seen much; I swear I saw all of you somewhere…

Mara: Either way it doesn't matter! We'll make sure you're sent back to those troublesome goddesses in pieces for this transgression!

E: Goddesses?

Ω: I'm done listening to you, if you want a fight, you'll get no better chance than now.

Γ: Change of plan: Omega, Upsilon and I will take Hild, Rho, I can count on you and Epsilon to handle Mara right?

Hild: What? All that posturing and you gang up on the small one?

Y: You are clearly the stronger between the two.

Hild: Spoilsport.

_The five brandish their weapons._

P: Gamma what are the chances of us winning?

Γ: Zero. Mara's a tough demon and Hild is the strongest out of any demon.

P: My kind of odds.

Y:Then why are we still here?

Γ: To buy time so that the human who can win appears to stop them.

Mara: Fools! Now you will learn respect by being crushed under heel by the might of the Demon Realm!


	3. Chapter 3

_Note: the song played is 'Live and Let Die' by Guns N' Roses_

There was silence over the area, a grave atmosphere hung thick over everything. Prometheus Nero, who was on the cusp of deciding the fate of Earth, and the infamous swordmaster only known as Helen were in quite a bind. They looked at each other, knowing that only random chance would keep them from a messy end. The cards were down, and all eyes looked to the flop to decide who would triumph. The card was flipped over…

"No way!"

"How?"

"Arghh…almost had it too!"

"Baiser! Vous ne pouvez pas être sérieux!"

"Now, now Peorth there's no need for such language." Chided Belldandy.

"Ah, let her speak her mind," Spoke Nero. "This was a hard fought game, I'd be the same way." He then turned to Helen, who was chuckling to herself. "In the infinite facets of reality, there are very few who can claim to have defeated a goddess, but we will be the only ones who can say that we had beaten four!"

"In a meager card game." Helen specified.

"You take what you can get." Nero reasoned. He got up and bowed to his former opponents, a smile on his face. "Thank all of you for hosting the two of us while you prepared a portal to our home. I will not forget your generosity." "Nothing needs to be said; it is duty of any goddess to aid whoever needs help." Belldandy said.

"Yeah, and don't think you can just go home and not play us again!" Peorth called out. Nero nodded in acceptance of her challenge and he and Helen walked out to the portal; a intricate series of runic symbols and geometric circles drawn into the courtyard tile. Before it could be used however a bright lance of energy destroyed most of the spell. Nero and Helen avoided the blast and looked out at the main gate of the temple. A figure clad in armor shambled through, using a halberd to keep his balance. Blood ran down every limb, crimson lines on golden metal and colbalt spandex dripping onto the gray stone. His face was relatively unharmed, besides the ever present black scar that ran above and below his right eye, and those eyes now glowed that same red as the blood. Breathing labored, he managed to utter words.

"Nero… and Helen, neither of you are getting away from me this time…"

"A bold claim," Helen said. "But you have no chance of victory."

"Your allies are not my concern-" He began to say, but stopped and focused on Urd; his red eyes meeting her violet. "You, you feel just like the other one, you look like her and your tainted aura comes off of you like a wave just like Hild's…you are corrupted!" He spat. "And it is my only purpose to wipe out corruption!" With that declaration, Epsilon began to lumber forward towards her, weapon in both hands as he moved.

Nero lifted up as much of the rubble as he saw and flung it directly at Epsilon, but all of it burst into dust before collison. The shoulder of the charging berserker smashed into Neo-Bronze, crumpling its target. Turning to Helen, Epsilon raised the axhead high, looking to see her skull split wide open. Helen rolled out of the way but when the heavy blade fell to the ground, a massive pulse of air and the sound of thunder erupted from the polarm. Helen was knocked aside by the wave and Epsilon continued to press forward even faster now. Suddenly the air grew cold as thick layer of ice begun to encase him, as Lind made her move and dashed out to meet him. Fueled by the triple combination of the Unlocker Gene, the Amplifier Module, and his own out of control rage, he broke out of the ice and unleashed a powerful horizontal blow. Lind, with centuries of training ducked the swing and used the hook on her own halberd to trip Epsilon. As he began to stand, thorny ropes summoned by Peorth began to pull the weapon from his hands. Forced to let go and fly to escape the bramble, he was trying his best to evade Lind's blindingly fast aerial assault. Epsilon danced around to find an angle of attack and managed to grab her leg and fling her into the ground. Landing, he was met with a flurry of blows from the Valkyrie. After deflecting the offensive, Lind moved back, and Epsilon advanced only to be hit in the flank with a bolt of lightning shot by Urd.

"Stay back Lind," she asked. "If this guy's got a problem with me, he can take it up with me!" Epsilon merely growled at her and prepared a lance of energy, the light arching along his arm. Before this fight could begin, a young man came up the stairs, took off his helmet and yelped when he saw the wreakage. Epsilon heard the sound and turned to face him.

"Morisato!" Nero screamed. "Run!" Epsilon threw the lance and Keiichi was paralyzed by fear, and unable to escape. In a split second a barrier absorbed the fatal blast, and Belldandy stood between the two of them, facing Epsilon.

"I will not let you harm him." She said, a stern edge to her voice.

"Why are you creatures continuing to stand against me!" Epsilon yelled back and before he could begin to move chains wrapped around him and bound him to the ground. He struggled to break free and when he failed his demeanor went from one of savagery to one of despair.

"No…no…" he stammered and then a noise came from him; a sound to shake the ground and impact the very soul of all who heard it. Head hung low, all of his strength ebbed away, he looked like a husk of a man.

"I take it he's not a friend of yours Nero?" Urd asked.

"No, but we come from the same place." Nero responded. "Although he's gotten even worse now…"

"I have you to thank for that." Hissed Epsilon.

"How did you find this place?" Helen demanded.

"Gamma…he told us…he and the others are gone somewhere I cannot reach now."

"Who gave you those injuries?" Lind now questioned. "Who are the 'others' like you? Who are you?"

Epsilon gazed up at her. "Most people call me Epsilon. I along with Gamma, Rho, Upsilon, and the thing that calls itself Omega fell among the 'mercies' of the demons Hild and Mara. After beating us to a pulp, they flung my friends to the far edges of reality, and made me watch."

"You ran afoul of Hild?" Nero spoke up. "You're lucky to be alive."

"Either way, until another portal can be constructed, you will be kept where you are." Lind said. The morning turned to night and someone was out there to watch Epsilon at all times. During Nero's shift, Keiichi went out to check up on him.

"Hey, Morisato, are you okay?" Nero asked.

"There's not a month that goes by without me in the crossfire of some scuffle." Keiichi jokingly replied. "So what's the deal with this guy?" Nero let out a sigh. "Sad story really; he was once like you, a upstanding man with a kind spirit. It's kind of my fault he's like this now."

"What did you do?"

"I wanted him to see what I see," Explained Nero. "When I look at you, all of your insecurities, fears, all those secrets you hold inside are in your shadow. Epsilon has a hardline view of morality: either something is good and should be protected, or something is evil and must be fought. Instead of giving him clarity, I ended up giving him a curse to channel those feelings of insecurities into himself, creating terrible amounts of energy."

The college student was without words for some time. "Well…" He started. "Maybe you should have left him the way he was, rather than trying to force him to see things your way, at least that's how I think." He left then to prepare for work tomorrow. Nero stood up and went up to Epsilon, whose chains were gone, but was still rooted to the ground.

"Why can't I move?" He asked.

"Lind, the frigid one with the polearm, placed a few gravity fields on your armor," Nero said. "You should weigh about two and a half tons."

"These people seem inherently good, I wonder if they would be so polite to you if they knew you were responsible for the deaths of over a million people."

"Athanor did that without me having to push him, and not only did I try to keep him from doing that, I gave you the tools to succeed."

"Hmm. You also seem to know a lot about this world, so tell why I sensed such taint on the brown-skinned one?"

"Your accusation is not unfounded," Nero clarified. "Her name is Urd, and she is half-goddess, and half-demon on her mother's side."

"Her mother?" Epsilon inquired.

"Hild. Quite funny isn't it, that you two would share a common point of hatred, but she proves her strength over you by refusing to succumb to her darker nature. Although," Nero changed the subject. "We still haven't gotten to why you came here, what was Gamma looking for?"

"He told us that a human was here with the power to beat Hild and Mara. If that person is here, they are my only hope of getting my friends back."

On hearing that, Nero smile from ear to ear. "That's Victor for you, but the power you're looking for takes a different form. Only one human lives here: Keiichi Morisato, the guy you nearly shot a hole through. He's as average as they come strength-wise."

"If that's true, than how can these demons be defeated?"

"If it were just Mara, maybe you could fight her off, but no one can beat Hild that way. When you saw her, she looked like a child right?" Epsilon nodded as Nero continued. "That form only has a power output of one-one thousandth of her maximum, and most of that is sealed away in the jewelry she wears."

"Then my friends are lost."

"No, and why is what I've been trying to tell you all those years ago. Keiichi can win, but not by his power, but by his ambition. You saw the woman who defended him; she is Belldandy, and they love each other so much that they are changing the entire nature of the universe! Where we come from, they are just stories, ink on paper, but they have more spirit than people of flesh and blood! Our society is content on recording history, if I win, I can make it!"

Epsilon chuckled at Nero's proclamation. "You understand little, I've seen what unchecked ambition can do and if you succeed," He warned. "You'll only prove that humanity deserves to die."

Nero's eyes went wide at the statement and stormed off in a huff. Helen walked out to replace him accompanied by Peorth; the both of them in a conversation he was too distraught to listen to.

"Giant rubber bands?" Helen said, an incredulous look on her face. "Oh yes, Skuld even managed to construct a tank out of wood that she and her two machines crewed." Peorth admitted.

"I must admit your lives are more interesting than I gave you credit for." Helen sat down, head in her hands as she complemented the goddess. Peorth stayed standing, leaning against the wall.

"You don't even know the half of it. What is life like for you on your Earth?"

Helen looked over at Peorth. "Well I couldn't tell you exactly, not so different from this really, but as you can see," Helen waved over at Epsilon. "It's gotten more active."

"I see."

"I have a question, just between us," Helen wondered. "Why do you dress like that?" She then gestured at Peorth, garbed in what could best be described as a black two-piece swimsuit bound with leather straps.

"You know, Lind asks me that question all the time, and the answer's always the same; because I want to," She revealed. "What other reason should I have?"

"I like your answer, well put!" Helen responded with enthusiasm. "I asked that question because of the other one, Belldandy. When I see the way she acts around others, it doesn't seem honest, bending over backwards for others like that."

"I thought the same way once, she and I both have the same position to grant wishes to the people who need them the most. I was so sure that my methods were better but I was wrong in a sense. It's like wearing these clothes, this is my way, and Belldandy's way is no less valid, no less honest."Peorth instructed.

"Heh, that is a good point." Said Helen. "In the business of wish granting eh?"

"I am, and if you could wish for anything, what would it be?"

In response Helen drew her claymore and placed it in front of her. "Freedom, but that is something you cannot give me. I'm pretty sure you know I'm not like the others by now. I've live far longer than any human and I fought for every second; my freedom came on the edge of this sword. And with it," She gazed in the blade's edge and could see her reflection. "Even a immortal goddess like you lives on borrowed time." Peorth was surprised at Helen's sudden turn.

"That path can only lead to your death!" Helen only smirked back. "Self destruction is my thing, and I know exactly where my path ends." She got up and left after that. Soon afterwards Lind appeared to relieve Peorth and once she was alone she walked up to Epsilon, who looked back and smiled.

"Your name is Lind right?" He recalled. "I haven't been the most polite person in the universe_,_ _any_ universe for that matter, but this hasn't been my day."

"That isn't my concern," Lind said, slamming her halberd into the ground. "How have you managed to come here?"

"We found a door."

"How many times have you seen this door?"

"Four times."

Lind had a puzzled look on her face and knelt down to examine this strange human. "You're not lying," She deduced. "But that's impossible…"

"What do you mean?"

"I've seen you before; you have the same armor, the same weapon, the same movements," Lind muttered to herself. "You even look the same…"

Epsilon caught that and mustered up the strength to lift his arms and put them on her shoulders._ "I didn't always look like this!"_ He shouted at her. "When I fought you I was barelyeven me! I've become something…else over the years, before picking up anything bigger than a carving knife sent shivers up my spine, now that weapon I hold feels like a part of me! Every time my friends needed me to stand with them I let them down!" Tears began to stream down his face. "One of them _died_ Lind, and I was too weak to help him! You've probably been fighting for a thousand years, two thousand years, so tell me how you managed to bear it for so long!"

Lind looked at him with solemn eyes, then went back to the temple, soon she came out with a mirror placed it in front of Epsilon, and enchanted it showing his face without the ravages of the mark. Epsilon's eye widened as he saw the sand colored hair and emerald eyes of Travis Nazareth. Lind stood next to him and saw the same image.

"Not everybody has what it takes to be a warrior Epsilon," She stated. "But this is your path now, and you must fight so others will not suffer as you have." She also gave him a necklace made up of a series of metal squares, the center one having an orb glowing with light embedded inside.

"For when you need that extra push." Lind assured.

Epsilon stood up and embraced her, then put on the necklace. As morning came, everyone came out and saw Lind supervising Epsilon who was performing a series of gymnastic routines. After a string of backflips into a pike jump, Lind summoned a few plates of ice and tossed them at Epsilon.

"Target!" The solider commanded.

Epsilon responded by summoning a bow of pure energy and shattering each with well placed shots. The rest were shocked at this display.

"My word…" Helen gasped.

"Lind, did you dispel the gravity field?" Peorth said with a shaky voice.

Lind smiled at her. "It seems that I forgot. Epsilon!" She passed her hand over him and he shimmered. Epsilon instantly dashed in front of Urd.

"Ma'am I apologize for my actions yesterday," He said as the sky darkened. "They were unbecoming." He was soon struck by lightning and was floored.

"I guess that will do for now." Urd dismissed.

"What do you want me to do wit-AHHH!" Nero said and was cut off as his attempt to carry Epsilon's halberd ended with the shaft burning his hands.

"I'd rather you not touch that." Epsilon asked as he pulled his weapon to his hand.

"Got any more tricks?" Nero said. Epsilon clasped his hands together and closed his eyes. From seemingly nowhere a navy blue cloak now covered his body. "Will this suffice?" question Epsilon.

"Quaint." Replied Helen. "Can we go home now?"

"No," Epsilon answered back. "Not until we find the others."

"Why?" Said Nero.

"Because Hild said she knows about us, and we've done enough damage here."

"So we should go back for supplies."

"There are supplies throughout the multiverse, more than enough to carry the _seven _of us through the engagement." Argued Epsilon. "And if Gamma carries the same knowledge of these places you have, perhaps we will find a breakthrough.

"Fine, we'll press on." Grumbled Nero.

"Don't I get a say in this?" Helen spoke up.

"If we go his way, we can probably find Upsilon if he's still alive." Pushed Nero.

"He'd better be alive…" Helen trailed off.

"Now before we go," Epsilon said. "Do any of you have a guitar?"

"I can do you one better!" Boasted Skuld and soon she came out with a guitar she made herself. After strumming it for a couple seconds, Epsilon nodded in approval.

"Very fine work, and with a built in amp as well! I am humbled by your craftsmanship."

"Don't mention it." Said the young goddess.

"Are you done yet? We need to leave!" Shouted Nero.

Epsilon moved along and the three visitors were grouped together in the portal. The lines were drawn and the spells were chanted and they were whisked away to unknown locations. During transit, Epsilon re-tuned his new instrument and began to sing….


End file.
